Obamacare prescription: patience

"There's no sugarcoating it," President Barack Obama said of the problems with registering online for the Affordable Care Act. "The website has been too slow, people have been getting stuck during the application process. ... And there's no excuse for the problems, and these problems are getting fixed."

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By Michelle Singletary

recordnet.com

By Michelle Singletary

Posted Oct. 30, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By Michelle Singletary

Posted Oct. 30, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

"There's no sugarcoating it," President Barack Obama said of the problems with registering online for the Affordable Care Act. "The website has been too slow, people have been getting stuck during the application process. ... And there's no excuse for the problems, and these problems are getting fixed."

Despite the president's assurances, it's hard for people to have patience when already there is so much confusion about the law. Add in the fear-mongering by opponents and it's understandable why a lot of Americans may think the whole thing is a failure.

I've been trying to explain various aspects of the exchanges and have been following one Maryland employer in his effort to get health insurance through the exchange for the staff at his dental practice.

"So far I have only registered," said Herbert Egert, managing partner of Affinity Dental Associates. "It took me seven or eight visits just to get registered. I am glad that our current insurance contract lasts through March 31."

Egert says he is willing to wait. But he's frustrated.

And obviously he is not alone. So let me try to address some concerns and provide tips for working around the glitches. First, ignore the hype and the wild claims of the ACA's failure. If you already have health insurance, you don't need to do anything. If you don't, you'll have to have some patience.

» HealthCare.gov is still accessible for you to do some research. Use this time while they try to repair the system to learn more about the rules and what's offered. A Gallup poll found that 71 percent of uninsured people said they were "not too familiar" or "not familiar at all" with the exchanges set up to offer coverage. Go to HealthCare.gov/find-premium-estimates to get plan information in your area. You won't get a final price quote until you've completed an application.

» There are other ways to apply. You can call (800) 318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325), or you can apply in person by working with a counselor in your community. Go to LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov to find help in your area. You can search by your ZIP code, city or state. You can apply by mail by completing a paper application. You can download the application and instructions at HealthCare.gov by searching for "How do I apply for Marketplace coverage?"

» There is concern about the penalty people have to pay if they don't get insurance. Starting next year, individuals and their dependents are required to have minimum essential health insurance unless they qualify for an exemption. The administration has said that if consumers obtain health insurance by March 31, they will not face penalties.

I want to hear from you if you try one of the alternative ways to apply for insurance through the exchange. Write to me at colorofmoney@washpost.com. In the subject line put "Affordable Care Act." Include your name, contact information, city and state.

Contact Michelle Singletary, a personal finance columnist at The Washington Post, at michelle.singletary@washpost.com.